Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 22

My God, Why?

Begins with a cry Jesus echoes on the cross. The anguish is real — but so is the turn toward praise that comes at the end.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

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1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?

2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

3Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.

5They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:

8“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

9Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast.

10From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

11Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.

14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.

17I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.

18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

19But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs.

21Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

22I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.

23You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

24For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.

25My praise for You resounds in the great assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.

26The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!

27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.

28For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.

29All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives.

30Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation.

31They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn— all that He has done.

Understand This

Psalm 22, explained

What Psalm 22 is saying

Psalm 22 is the most theologically significant individual lament in the Psalter, opening with the cry Jesus quoted from the cross: 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?' (Eli, Eli, lamah azavtani). The sufferer endures mockery, physical torment described with anatomical precision (bones out of joint, heart melted like wax, tongue stuck to jaws), and enemies who 'pierce my hands and feet' and cast lots for clothing. The psalm's second half pivots dramatically to universal praise extending to all nations and future generations.

The background behind it

Attributed to David, the psalm's imagery transcends any known biographical context in David's life, leading to its extensive christological interpretation in the New Testament. Multiple details—the pierced hands and feet, the casting of lots, the gawking crowd—are cited as fulfilled in the crucifixion accounts (Matthew 27:35–46, John 19:24).

Themes running underneath

The psalm's arc from utter desolation to cosmic praise establishes the pattern of suffering-followed-by-vindication that becomes central to messianic theology. The expansion of praise from individual to congregation to nations to the unborn demonstrates that redemptive suffering has universal consequences.

Why it still matters

Psalm 22 provides language for the experience of divine absence in the midst of suffering. Its dramatic pivot to praise does not negate the suffering but transforms it, modeling a faith that holds desolation and hope simultaneously.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.